Of Pianos and Coffee
by Elizabeth Scarlette
Summary: "Yours played the piano. Do they still work?" Jane's reaction to Hoyt's question. Non-Rizzles


**A/N: So this is a non-Rizzles sisterly love kind of story because I just love the beautiful friendship that these two have and I wanted to write a story about it. Plain and simple.**

_Yours played the piano. Do they still work?_

Hoyt's words echoed through her mind, and the truth was, she didn't know. She was always too scared to play after… what happened. She ran her finger over her scars and tried to soothe the numb throbbing that began to course through her arms every time she thought about how she got the scars.

She really used to love playing the piano. Sure the only reason why she had begun lessons was just to please her mother, but in the end, she had fallen in love with it. It was what calmed her down at night. She had spent most of her nights off during that case sitting at the piano bench at home soothing her mind with Debussy's "Arabesque". Now the only piano she had any access to sat in the middle of Maura's music room, but she couldn't ask to go there. Then Maura would know, and even worse, she would listen… and if Jane failed Maura would know. And if she failed, she would break, knowing that Hoyt had taken away another of her securities.

Her mind was made up. She would use her spare key and sneak into Maura's house, try to play and no one would ever know if she left before Maura got home, or at least stopped playing before she did.

Not fifteen minutes after she had made her decision, was Jane Rizzoli at the door to her best friend's house, practically breaking in…. though she did have a key. She made her way through the delicate little brownhouse and to the music room. Jane sat on the piano bench and brushed her fingers over the keys before she began her scales. She was doing it! Sure there was a little stiffness but that could have been from her years out of practice. Her fingers danced across the keys as her simple scales turned into that old familiar tune. She played and played and lost all track of time until she heard the familiar click clack of her best friends shoes.

_Crap! _

Her fingers stilled above the keys as she willed the sound to have just been a part of her imagination. "Jane?"

_Damn it. _"Yeah?"

"I didn't know you could play the piano." The honey blonde stood in the doorway leaning against the frame as she smiled at her friend. "When you didn't come back to the precinct after talking with Hoyt… the boys got scared… so did I. I looked at your apartment but you weren't there. Then I just got this sense that you were here. I guess that is what you mean when you say your gut… and while I do not usually believe in the accuracy of the guesses of my intestines… it led me to you. Are you ok?"

For the first time since Maura's entrance Jane looked up at her and actually smiled. "Somewhat… yeah, I am. I didn't think I'd ever be able to play again… after… well you know. And he asked me if I could today and I didn't want him to win, so I had to try. And I didn't want you to know if I failed… so that's why I'm here unannounced… I'm sorry for not telling you I was going to be here… or asking if I could even come over." Her eyes were now averted to the ground and she did not see her friend approaching her.

"You're welcome here anytime, Jane, you know that." Maura placed her hand on the brunette's back trying to comfort her and make her understand that what she was saying was true. A moment of silence passed before Maura spoke again. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"That would be nice, thank you."

As Maura set off to the kitchen to make the coffee, Jane stayed behind to close up the piano. When she finally followed into the kitchen, she was surged with an overwhelming affection for her best friend. The only person in the world she was completely comfortable with. When she was certain that there would be no painful repercussions, such as spilled hot water, she ran up to her best friend and wrapped her in a hug. It took a second for the Medical Examiner to understand what was going on before she smiled and hugged her friend back. "Thanks for being such a great best friend, Maura."

"You are welcome, Jane. All I've learned about being one is from you."

"No, you've had it in you all along. No one ever gave you the chance to show it."

Maura was speechless, so she settled for just squeezing her friend tighter before letting go and finishing their coffee without another word.


End file.
